Shirley Dawn Johnson Knolls

Shirley Dawn Johnson Knolls, 78, of Cortland went home to be with the Lord on September 13, 2016 in the Cortland Regional Medical Center following an extended illness.

A lifelong area resident, Shirley was born June 4, 1938, a daughter of the late Walter and Lina Johnson. She graduated Homer Central in 1956 and Central City Business Institute, Syracuse in 1957.

She worked for a short time as the chief secretary in the Pathology Department at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, as a secretary at Inland Express in Syracuse and retired as a title recorder from the Cortland County Clerk's Office. 

Shirley was a member, for more than 50 years, of the First Baptist Church of Homer, now Grace Christian Fellowship. She served as a Sunday school teacher and loyal member of the Clothes Closet crew.  She was chairperson of the support commission and was active in the American Baptist Women's Organization locally as well as serving on the state level as a subscription agent for the ABW magazine. She was also a faithful member of the Order of the Eastern Star #222, Homer. Shirley was one of the founders of the annual Thanksgiving dinner originally held Homer and now at St. Anthony's Church in Cortland.  She was the Historian for the Homer Central Class of 1956.

Surviving are her nieces and nephews, Cindy Stoker (Milton Tufts) of North Springfield, VT, Lynn (Jeffrey) Mitchell of Homer, Stephen (Robin) Johnson of Toledo, OR and Robert (Jody) Johnson of Homer; eleven great nieces and nephews; a sister-in-law, Judy Johnson of Cortland; her brother-in-law, Clyde Stoker of Homer; a cousin, Edmund (Betty) Duhlmeier of Whitney Point; her stepchildren, Timothy J. (Juanita) Knolls of Dryden; Deborah (H.H. Douglas) Barnard of Orangeburg, SC; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and many dear friends.

Shirley was predeceased by her husband, Richard W. Knolls in 2004; her sister, Wanita Stoker; a brother, Sheldon Johnson and a step-daughter, Sandra Knolls.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday October 1, 2016 at the Donald L. Barber Funeral Home, 5016 N. Main St., Homer.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.

Per Shirley’s request and in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be directed to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation for Post-Polio Syndrome and Spinal Stenosis Research at www.christopherreeve.org or to Cortland Loaves and Fishes, 13 Court Street, Cortland, NY  13045.

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